“Real misery is being caused to no good purpose” – Nearly Legal

‘This was the judicial review of the ‘reduced’ benefit cap – £20,000 pa outside London, £23,000 in London, brought by claimants who were all single mothers with children, including children under two years old. The claim was on the basis that the regulations were discriminatory, either against women as the majority of single parents, or against the children, on the basis that single parents of children under two years old were not able to ‘escape’ the cap by obtaining 16 hours or more a week of employment.’

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Nearly Legal, 25th June 2017

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Cap on benefits for single parents with toddlers ruled unlawful in landmark judgment – Daily Telegraph

Posted June 23rd, 2017 in benefits, class actions, families, government departments, judges, news, poverty by sally

‘A central plank of the Government’s benefit reform programme has suffered a major setback after a High Court judge ruled it was unlawful and was causing “real misery” to single parents and their children.’

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Daily Telegraph, 22nd June 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Surrogacy Law / HFEA Update – Family Law Week

‘Andrew Powell, barrister of 4 Paper Buildings, considers recent surrogacy judgments and the latest cases concerning administrative errors relating to consent forms and the HFEA.’

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Family Law Week, 21st June 2017

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Foreign criminals’ deportation scheme ruled unlawful – UK Human Rights Blog

‘R (Kiarie) v Secretary of State for the Home Department; R (Byndloss) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2017] UKSC 42. The Government’s flagship scheme to deport foreign criminals first and hear their appeals later was ruled by the Supreme Court to be incompatible with the appellants’ right to respect for their private and family life.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, June 15th 2017

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Two brothers jailed after keeping mother and sister as domestic slaves in Bradford – The Independent

‘Two brothers have been jailed after they kept their mother and sister as slaves.’

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The Independent, 13th June 2017

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Father wins discrimination case against employer for failing to give him full paternity leave – Daily Telegraph

‘A father has successfully sued his employer for failing to give him full paternity leave rights, in a case thought to be the first of its kind.’

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Daily Telegraph, 11th June 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Regina (ZX) v Secretary of State for Justice – WLR Daily

Posted June 7th, 2017 in children, families, law reports, probation, release on licence by sally

Regina (ZX) v Secretary of State for Justice [2017] EWCA Civ 155

‘The claimant, a married British citizen of Bangladeshi origin with three children, was convicted on his guilty plea of two terrorism related offences and sentenced in the Crown Court to a term of three years’ imprisonment. Following his release on licence, conditions were imposed on his licence precluding him, inter alia, from having contact with his children save as directed by the National Probation Service (“the NPS”) and local children’s services. He sought to challenge the imposition of those conditions on the basis that the NPS had no lawful entitlement to give a direction separating him from his children, that there was no properly identified risk and that no separation could properly be directed without due compliance with the provisions of the Children Act 1989 and the Children Act 2004 and, if need be, without an order of the Family Court. Permission to proceed with the claim for judicial review was refused on the basis that the grounds raised were not arguable. The claimant appealed on the grounds, inter alia, that the judge had misdirected himself as to the scope and effect of the NPS’s duties under section 11 of the 2004 Act (to make arrangements for ensuring that its functions were discharged having regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children).’

WLR Daily, 17th March 2017

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Judge agrees natural father should not be given notice of care proceedings – Local Government Lawyer

‘A natural father need not be given a copy of a notice of care proceedings where this would create a risk for the mother, HHJ Bellamy has ruled in the Family Court.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 6th June 2017

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Dog that killed three-week-old boy belonged to his father – The Independent

Posted June 6th, 2017 in child neglect, children, dogs, families, news by sally

‘A father who has admitted that he owned the dog which mauled his 20-day-old baby to death, is facing jail. Ryan Young, 32, initially denied owning the terrier-type dog but changed his plea at Newcastle Crown Court.’

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The Independent, 5th June 2017

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Parental Disputes, Religious Differences and the Welfare of the Children – Family Law Week

Posted June 2nd, 2017 in children, education, families, Judaism, news, transgender persons by sally

‘Alex Verdan QC, Sam King and Ruth Kirby, all of 4 Paper Buildings, consider recent judgments in cases involving parental disputes resulting from one parent deciding to depart life in an Hassidic community.’

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Family Law Week, 30th May 2017

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

UK wrong to deny residence rights for non-EEA family members of dual nationals – Free Movement

Posted June 1st, 2017 in brexit, citizenship, EC law, families, immigration, news by sally

‘The question about what rights are enjoyed by an EU citizen who naturalises as a British citizen becoming a dual citizen is critically important in the context of Brexit.’

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Free Movement, 31st May 2017

Source: www.freemovement.org.uk

Court of Appeal dismisses challenge to rules on Adult Dependent Relatives – Free Movement

Posted May 30th, 2017 in appeals, elderly, families, immigration, news, regulations by sally

‘The Court of Appeal has dismissed the challenge brought by campaign group Britcits to the restrictive Immigration Rules on the admission to the UK of parents, grandparents and other adult dependent relatives. The case is BRITCITS v The Secretary of State for the Home Department [2017] EWCA Civ 368.’

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Free Movement, 30th May 2017

Source: www.freemovement.org.uk

Mother asks court to permit doctors to cease care for ill daughter – The Guardian

Posted May 30th, 2017 in Court of Protection, euthanasia, families, medical treatment, news by sally

‘A woman has asked a judge to give doctors permission to stop providing life-support treatment to her severely ill daughter.’

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The Guardian, 29th May 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

Pensioner, 86, hatched “shameless” plot to cheat elderly brother out of £900k, judge says – Daily Telegraph

Posted May 25th, 2017 in families, news, wills by sally

‘An 86-year-old widower who claimed his sister gave him her £900,000 house on her deathbed has been slammed by a judge for his “shameless sense of entitlement”.’

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Daily Telegraph, 24th May 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Lottery millionaire’s son spent £1.6m – then sued father for more cash – The Guardian

Posted May 19th, 2017 in families, gambling, news by sally

‘A man who was given nearly £1.6m by his father after he won £101m in the Euromillions has had his claim for more cash thrown out by a judge.’

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The Guardian, 19th May 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Landmark European court case could curtail freedoms of British dual nationals – The Guardian

Posted May 16th, 2017 in citizenship, EC law, families, immigration, news by sally

‘Judges at the European court of justice have gathered to rule on a landmark case that could have widespread implications for all EU citizens applying for British passports. ‘

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The Guardian, 16th May 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Family life succeeds in defeating s.94B ‘deport first, appeal later’ certification – Free Movement

Posted May 15th, 2017 in appeals, children, deportation, families, immigration, news, public interest by sally

‘The judgment in OO (Nigeria), R (on the application of) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2017] EWCA Civ 338 is one of a series of cases challenging the lawfulness of the certification regime under s.94B Nationality Immigration Asylum Act 2002 (as amended). The issue has been considered several times on Free Movement, and judgment is still awaited on the lead test case of Kiarie and Byndloss v SSHD [2015] EWCA Civ 1020, heard by the Supreme Court in March.’

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Free Movement, 15th May 2017

Source: www.freemovement.org.uk

Lord Janner’s family have hearing request rejected – BBC News

‘The family of the late Lord Janner have lost their battle to have a hearing to discuss concerns about the inquiry into allegations against him.’

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BBC News, 3rd May 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Paid McKenzie Friends “play on uncertainty and victimhood” of separating fathers – Legal Futures

‘‘Professional’ paid McKenzie Friends associated with fathers’ rights groups (FRGs) play on their “uncertainty and sense of victimhood” to attract business, academic research has found, saying that there needed to be a code of conduct and a greater role for law school clinics in their place.’

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Legal Futures, 20th April 2017

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Child victims of sexual abuse in families let down by system: report – The Guardian

‘Child victims of sexual abuse within families are being let down by the system, the children’s commissioner for England has said.’

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The Guardian, 20th April 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk